Job ID: 104141

Ph.D. Student position in long-term consequences and brain circuitry of social trauma

Position: Ph.D. Student

Deadline: 31 May 2023

Employment Start Date: 1 July 2023

Contract Length: 4 years

City: Lausanne

Country: Switzerland

Institution: University of Lausanne

Department: Department of Biomedical Sciences (DSB)

Description:

Position:

We invite applications for a 4-year fully funded PhD position at the University of Lausanne, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, in the lab of Prof. Stamatina Tzanoulinou, focusing on brain circuitry of social stress.

Social stress is one of the most common and potent stressors for social species and its long-lasting effects are considered relevant for psychopathology in stress- and anxiety-related disorders, such as phobias, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and importantly, delayed-onset PTSD. Our lab is particularly interested in the involvement of dopamine and the mesolimbic pathway in social stress and in its delayed consequences. Several mouse lines will be used as model organisms, and the candidate will be combining viral approaches, fiber photometry, optogenetics, behavioral tests and ex vivo electrophysiology recordings to elucidate the brain circuitry of long-term effects of social trauma.

Environment:

The Department of Biomedical Sciences is offering an excellent multidisciplinary environment situated in the Lemanic area with tight connections to a thriving neuroscientific community. The successful candidate will be enrolled in one of two relevant doctoral schools and benefit from interactions and exchanges within a comprehensive network and program. State-of-the-art equipment for the techniques involved in the project is already available in our department.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate would have a background (Master’s degree) in Neuroscience, Life Sciences, Biology, Psychology, or related disciplines. Prior experience with behavioral testing in rodents is not a strict prerequisite, but the successful candidate should be motivated and willing to learn and work with animal models. Experience with whole-cell patch clamp recordings, fiber photometry and/or coding will be considered a plus.

Procedure:

Applicants should send a CV, a statement of research interests and two recommendation letters, including the contact details of two referees, to: stamatina.tzanoulinou@unil.ch

The position would be available from the 1^st of July 2023 and should start no later than September of the same year.